Suella Braverman Out As Home Secretary
3 min read
Suella Braverman is no longer Home Secretary after sharing an official document with a colleague from a personal email address.
She has been replaced at the Home Office by former transport secretary Grant Shapps, who supported Truss' srival Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party leadership election over the summer.
Braverman's departure comes less than a week after former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked after last month’s mini-Budget caused turmoil in the markets. The MP for Fareham appeared to take aim at Liz Truss as she departed, as she said that she had taken responsibility for her own mistakes
In a letter to the Prime Minister that Braverman shared on Twitter this afternoon, she said: "Earlier today I sent an official document from my personal email to a trusted parliamentary colleague as part of policy engagement and with the aim of garnering support for government policy on migration.
"This constitutes a technical infringement of the rules."
She added: "As soon as I realised my mistake, I rapidly reported this on official channels and informed the Cabinet Secretary.
"As Home Secretary I hold myself to the highest standards and my resignation is the right thing to do."
Braverman's letter contained a thinly-veiled message to the under-pressure Prime Minister.
"Pretending we haven't made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can't see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics," she continued.
"The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes."
"I have made a mistake, I accept responsibility, I resign."
There had been tension between Braverman and Truss ever since the former was appointed Home Secretary, with Braverman saying she had “reservations” about a proposed trade deal with India because it would increase immigration to the UK.
In a short letter of reply this evening, which distilled Braverman's achievements as Home Secretary to overseeing policing around mourning the Queen's and work on the Northern Ireland protocol, Truss said that she was "grateful" for her service. She implied that Braverman's conduct could have breached the ministerial code.
"It is important that the ministerial code is upheld, and that Cabinet confidentiality is respected," Truss wrote.
Braverman's departure comes as Truss battles on to try and save her premiership, with a vote this evening on fracking that government whips have said is being considered "a confidence vote in the government" and widespread unhappiness among backbenchers.
Braverman's departure was immediately followed by a mini rebellion over the vote. Former energy minister Chris Skidmore said that he would be willing to have the whip suspended for not supporting the government.
He was immediately followed by former Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, and Conservative MP for Guildford Angela Richardson.
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